Friday, February 25, 2011

Eleven years and a week ago:

(Jane, feeling the baby's kicks.)

She entered into the world just after midnight on Feb. 24, 2000. My labor was short, she came out after only a few pushes....we opted to be surprised with gender, but when she came out, she looked exactly like her sister, so we cried, "It's a Jane!" before the dr. even told us she was a girl. I held her shortly, then she was put into the warming tray (yes, like a little turkey) for vitals and cleaning and other necessities. Turns out, she had some fluid in her lungs, so the minutes ticked by as she was monitored, and monitored some more, until it was decided she needed to go to NICU. I was able to hold her briefly again (20 seconds, maybe?), and the nurses had to take her off to take care of her. I remember being wheeled back to my room - it was probably 3 a.m. by then, and delivered to my bed. I remember feeling as though not just a baby, but my heart, had left my body. I was all emotion, and exhaustion, and more emotion. I cried quietly by myself, in my room, with no baby to hold. Not much sleep that night.

That was Claire Suzanne's entrance into the world. She and I made it through those 1st few rocky days - I was discharged without her, and I spent every waking moment going back and forth to and from the hospital for about a week, until she could come home.

She's our baby, she's been her sister's best friend and companion. She's bright, and inquisitive, and sweet, and tough yet sensitive. She gets embarrassed when I talk to her classmates when I drop her off at school, yet loves to snuggle with me at night before bed. She and I have frustrating, clashing disagreements, yet we love to go on long walks together through our neighborhood and talk and talk and talk. She makes our family complete.

Happy Birthday, Claire Bear!

And now to some Hip Stitching.....here's the finished Weekender Bag - at the store: